Hess.com excavates, mines, and refines oil and natural gas
Hess Corporation
[1] is the website of the New York based Hess oil corporation. With assets that cover the entire spectrum of the industry from oil extraction to oil refineries, transport and finally gas stations the company has managed an impressive 126th place in the prestigious Fortune 500 list, despite its relatively small size compared with the giants in the industry.
Website
According to the web archive, the company purchased the domain in 1998 and the current design dates from 2004. The domain itself dates as far as 1996, when it was the personal page of a web designer named Ann Hess.
The website itself acts as a PR portal, mainly for investor relations, career opportunities and press releases. Despite this, the website itself is extremely informative, especially in presenting the various worldwide operating fields. The usage of a map application to navigate easier in between the various operations is the most advanced feature of the site.
A relative important part of the website is the one presenting the corporate philosophy and values, especially in the EH&S (Environmental, Health Safety and Social Responsibility) segment. While it could be argued that these are empty words, some actions performed at the highest corporate level seem to confirm these values. In the refining industry for example. Hess Corporation prides in being a co-owner of the HOVENSA oil refinery which produces one of the “cleanest” gasoline in the United States, more exactly the production process meets the most stringent environmental standards and the gasoline obtained has a very low greenhouse gases emissions per unit (according to the website).
The Investor Relations section of the website is the most comprehensive one with the data being very well structured and there is a visible effort to educate the investor base towards the strengths of the company.
Company History
Hess Corporation was founded in 1919 with the name of Amerada Corporation. In the years 1920-1924 the company registered sizable profits, but in the years of the Great Depression the company was in trouble. The modern history of the company begins in 1968 when Leon Hess, then the owner of Hess Oil and Chemical, purchased 10% of Amerada’s stock. Later on, in 1969, the two companies merged in what would be called Amerada Hess Corporation. The merger was not without controversy as Philips Petroleum had also bid for a merger. Several lawsuits regarding this issue were filed in the early 70’s, but ultimately the company outlasted them. The company changed its named to Hess Corporation in 2006.
The Company Now
The exploration and the oil extraction operations are the main core of the company, accounting for approximately 70% of the entire assets. The main operations are in South East Asia (Malaysia, Thailand) and North Africa (Egypt, Libya), but the company also has extraction operations going on in the US, Northern Europe, Russia, some former Soviet republics (Azerbaijan) and Central Africa (Gabon, Equatorial Guinea). Strangely enough, the company doesn’t hold any interest in the Middle East area. The gas stations belonging to the company are mostly found on the East Coast. The company is also involved in attracting a competitive workforce through its MBA program.
The Company In The Popular Culture
The colors of Hess Corporation (kelly green and white) are also the colors of the New York Jets. This is not an accident, as Leon Hess bought the team in 1964 as part of a consortium. Later on he bought his partners to become the unique owner of the team.
As an unique trademark, Hess Corporation sells a toy truck every Christmas. This is a tradition going back to 1964. Occasionally, the company also releases smaller, limited, chrome editions such as the 1995 and 2002 (given away to the shareholders) and the 2006 edition (to commemorate the change of name to Hess Corporation, given to the employees of NYSE)
Languages
English
Address
- One Hess Plaza
- Woodbridge NJ 07092 US
